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Remember our favorite African-American grandma Rebecca Lanier? The one that out lived her two kids, currently lives with her 61-year-old grandson and is still kickin’ at 116 years old? She’s the oldest living person in the world and due to poor record keeping in Mississippi when she was born to slave parents in 1892, the Guinness Book of World Records refuses to identify her as such. Although slavery had ended, Blacks still didn’t get birth certificates.

The current record holder, Maria Gomes Valentim of Brazil, died earlier this week at the age of 114. Still two years shy of Lanier. Guinness is now passing the torch on to the next contender and and it’s not Rebecca Lanier.

According the Guinness the new record holder of the oldest person in the world is Besse Cooper of Monroe, Georgia at the age of 114 and 229 days.

Rebecca Lanier is recognized by the Federal Government as being 116 years old, born in 1892.

Rebecca Lanier celebrates 116th birthday.

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